Everything You Need to Know About the FPL Assistant Manager Chip

Have you ever wished you could include the tactical genius of Pep Guardiola or the strategic brilliance of Mikel Arteta in your Fantasy Premier League squad? The new Assistant Manager chip, previously referred to as the Mystery Chip, lets you do just that.

This exciting addition to FPL allows you to earn points based on the real-life performances of Premier League managers, calculated from their clubs’ results, goals, clean sheets, and more.

The Assistant Manager chip will be available starting Gameweek 24 in January 2024, and you can activate it at any point after that during the 2024/25 season. It’s an innovative twist on the game that promises to keep things fresh and competitive and our Fantasy Premier League experts here at EPLNews bring you all you need to know about it.

How Does the Assistant Manager Chip Work?

When you activate the chip, you can select a Premier League manager to earn points based on their team’s performances over the next three consecutive Gameweeks. Importantly, choosing your Assistant Manager won’t use up a free transfer, but if you want to switch to a different manager during this three-Gameweek period, it will cost a transfer, just like with players.

Keep in mind that only one chip can be played per Gameweek. So, if you activate the Assistant Manager chip in Gameweek 24, you’ll need to wait until Gameweek 27 to use another chip. This strategic limitation makes timing your chip activation crucial.

If a manager leaves their club during the three-Gameweek period, you’ll continue to score points based on the original club’s performance.

Scoring Points with the Assistant Manager Chip

The scoring system for the Assistant Manager chip is straightforward but packed with opportunities for strategic thinking. Your chosen manager earns points based on their team’s performance as follows:

• Team win: 6 points
• Team draw: 3 points
• Goal scored by team: 1 point per goal
• Clean sheet: 2 points

Additionally, there’s a table bonus for underdog victories. If your chosen manager’s team defeats a side ranked at least five places higher in the Premier League table at the start of the Gameweek, you’ll receive:

• An extra 10 points for a win (16 total)
• An additional 5 points for a draw (8 total)

It’s worth noting that you cannot captain your Assistant Manager, so there’s no doubling of their points.

Strategic Approaches to the Assistant Manager Chip

There are two main approaches to consider when selecting your Assistant Manager:

1. Back a top manager: Choose a manager from a leading club, such as Liverpool’s Arne Slot, to capitalise on their potential for consistent wins, goals and clean sheets over a favourable run of fixtures.
   
2. Chase table bonuses: Take a riskier but potentially more rewarding path by choosing a manager whose team often faces higher-ranked opponents. The table bonus can lead to significant points hauls, especially in a tightly contested Premier League season.

For example, as things stand now in the middle of Gameweek 22, there are only seven points separating fourth place Newcastle and Brighton in 10th. This close competition creates ample opportunities to target table-bonus points. If, for instance, a manager of a 12th-placed team beats a side in 7th, you’d earn at least 16 points for the win due to the table bonus.

One standout performer in this category has been AFC Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, who currently sits second in the 2024/25 Assistant Manager standings. His side has secured surprise victories over higher-ranked opponents such as Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Using the Chip in Double Gameweeks

Another powerful tactic is to save the Assistant Manager chip for Double Gameweeks (DGWs), when teams play twice within a single Fantasy Gameweek. With the chip active during a DGW, your chosen manager’s team could play four matches over a three-Gameweek period, creating huge scoring potential.

However, be mindful of the three-player-per-club limit. For example, if you already have Mohamed Salah (£13.7m) in your squad and bring in Arne Slot as your Assistant Manager, you’ll only have room for one additional Liverpool player during that period.

Budgeting for Your Assistant Manager

Just like players, each Premier League manager comes with a set price, which won’t fluctuate throughout the season. You’ll need to allocate funds from your existing budget to afford your chosen manager. This could require making sacrifices elsewhere in your squad, so careful planning is key.

The pricing of managers in FPL is as follows:

• £1.5m: Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Enzo Maresca (Chelsea), Arne Slot (Liverpool), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Eddie Howe (Newcastle)

• £1.1m: Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton), Marco Silva (Fulham), Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest), Ange Postecoglou (Tottenham)
• £0.8m: Unai Emery (Aston Villa), Thomas Frank (Brentford), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Ruben Amorim (Manchester United), Vitor Pereira (Wolves)
• £0.5m: David Moyes (Everton), Kieran McKenna (Ipswich), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Leicester), Ivan Juric (Southampton), Graham Potter (West Ham)

Final Thoughts

The Assistant Manager chip is a game-changing addition to Fantasy Premier League for the 2024/25 season, offering managers a unique way to earn points and rethink their strategies. Whether you opt for a proven winner or gamble on underdog victories, this chip adds an extra layer of excitement to an already thrilling game.

Make sure to plan your activation wisely and factor it into your overall strategy for the season. Who will you choose as your Assistant Manager? Let the competition begin!